Part 3: Update III - Life-Changing Tragedy In 5...

Update III - Life-Changing Tragedy In 5...



♪ BGM: Bad Night Story - vamp9.mid ♫

That does remind me a little of Valnar back then, Grandpa!
Maybe a little. But what's important is that Nyria succeeded in this situation, whereas Valnar failed drastically in a similar situation.

So the thread isn't the only one that's on record as saying that Nyria > Valnar. It only takes one update to make an impression.

Well, well... but I have to say, she does have talent. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the vampire's shoes.
Yes, Nyria trained secretly, because she anticipated that she could protect her mother and herself at one point. And several months later, there was someone else who had to be protected. Nyria's mother gave birth to a little girl and called her...



♪ BGM: Thyrik - 7thguntz.mid ♫

Not to be overbearing, but you should remember this name.

Of course, Mommy! Come on, Jayna. Come to your sister! Yes, come to your sister! Dear little Jayna...

Jayna starts moving towards Nyria.

Yes, you're a good girl!

Jayna then moves towards her mother instead.

Hey, to me! Not to Mommy!

Nyria walks over there as well.

Ohhhh, you are SOOO cuddly!
Now, come here, my little Jayna!
My little sister...



And so, many happy years passed. As Jayna grew up, she often played hide and seek with Nyria and Jona. Nyria and her mother never told Jayna about the dramatic events from back then, however. They believed she already had it rough enough without a father. And so the little Jayna became a young girl...



Of course, what do you think?
Well then, let's go! Let's pick up Jona, too!
All right.

They then walk downstairs.



But don't come home late! We'll have dinner soon!
Of course!
Well then, enjoy yourselves! And please don't give Jayna one of your knives...
How do you...
Come now, you don't really think that I haven't noticed over the years!
...well, shoot. Anyway, we'll be outside!

They then go out the front door.



Where are we going?
Today, I'll teach you how to fight!
How to fight? But Mommy said...
Forget what she said! I assure you that it's important to know how to fight properly.
Well, if you say so...
Trust me, I'm your big sister, I know what I'm talking about!
What are we still waiting for, then? Ah, right, where is Jona waiting, anyway?
On the large meadow.
You mean the meadow southeast of here?
Sure, what other would I mean?

And with that, we're off to explore. We can't enter any buildings, but there's a lot of people to talk to, so let's get going!



No one wants to go out with me. Everyone only has eyes for you.
Don't ask. It's almost starting to annoy me.
Sigh... if only I were in your stead...



While bopping around Thyrik, I get to notice one particularly annoying thing that Marlex did - he made the top parts of the roof of all the buildings impassable, even though you should be able to walk past them due to how the perspective works. It's not hard to do, but alas.



Oh, Stephan, the last time was kind of nice, but somehow I don't have the desire to spend the evening with you again.
Oh, what a bummer. But I'm so in love with you!
What else do you want me to say?
That you love me!
I'll be going now...

This is going to be a running theme for this bit - basically every male person in this village wants to fuck Nyria.



Oh JayJay, you can spare me your little games. You know I'm not interested in you.
Hey, I'm the best thing that could happen to you here! I can take down two wolves at once! Come on, give me a chance!
Nah, don't do it! You should take ME instead! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
Hmpf... for some reason, you two are bugging me...
But... but...
I'm leaving...



Hello, Emilia! Say, how are you doing today?
Great! My husband gave me flowers today!
Hey, that's nice. I wish I had somebody who would give me flowers. But all the boys here always only want the one thing.
Oh, there are so many men in this world. There ought to be someone even you will like.
Right...



Then you wouldn't have a chance, just like the others.
Hoho, if you knew... gasp... gasp...



And then hide in the bushes! You know what I mean...
Nah, I'd rather not. I still have scratch wounds from last time! Those stupid pricky shrubs...
How could I've known that it was a bush with pricks?
Let it go. You had your chance.
Pah, women!



It's cute when even a short one like you has the biggest ego.
Ego-what? Don't talk such nonsense. I'm gonna be a big hero soon! And then, I'll have hundreds of girls around me, who will all look better than you!
Of course... but now go and play with your cute little wooden sword! Otherwise, you'll end up in every possible third class adventure...
Nah, that won't happen to ME for sure! I am Alex, after all!



In case you need a refresher, Alex is the default main character that the engine sets you up with when you create a new RPG Maker 2000 game. As such, there are a lot of different (bad) RPG Maker games that star Alex, since people didn't bother to change their main character at all. However, this is also a bit of a personal topic for Marlex - his first game, Dunkle Schatten, also starred Alex. This game was quite the oddity, in that it was a game that starred an Alex, but was actually good.



Of course. But I have my reasons. Jona's waiting.
Oh, I guess you young people will never learn...



What's going on here?
He's lovesick! He's threatening to jump!
Hey, Condor! What the heck are you doing up there?
I'll... I'll jump! I'll do it! I'll do it! If you don't go out with me! I'M GOING TO JUMP! GO OUT WITH ME, NYRIA! OR I'LL JUMP!
You want me to go out with you? No way...
...BUT... but... NYRIA!
He won't jump anyway...

Nyria goes to leave, and...



Ouuuuuuuuch... my nose...



What were you thinking...
If I bleed to death, it's all your fault, Nyria!
Don't exaggerate.



His own fault!

I think that's all the people we can talk to, so it's time to head out.



We head east to go back to the place where we were with Jona in the previous scene.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

Then we head south and find Jona in a strange walled-off area, facing off with some sort of snake.

Isn't that dangerous? That's a Kronus-Adder. Highly venomous...
Don't worry, Jona knows what she's doing. Pay attention to her posture and her quick reactions...
Yes, she's good...
Come on, you stupid creature! I'll finish you!
Watch out, Jona!
Heh heh, and here comes my finishing blow, stupid snake!



Exciting combat scenes!

Haha, it's running away! Well done, Jona!



Damn it, Jayna! What are you doing!? Come back here at once!



Snakes, much like bullets, just shoot forward until they hit something.

JONA!
Uhhhhh... Damn iii...



Waaaaahh...



Jona, please say something...



...



Nyria lost her best friend because of a stupid mistake by her sister Jayna. But Nyria hid her anger towards Jayna, so her mother didn't have to worry. But inside of Nyria, the anger was burning, and it wouldn't go away so quickly. A short while later, Jona was buried at her favorite cliff.



♪ BGM: The Grave At The Cliff - Gojista Regrets.mid ♫

...I am so dreadfully sorry!
It was... not... your fault...
It was! It was all my fault!
It had to be... fate...
...
Sometimes, life is so incredibly cruel... she could never achieve something in her life...







And once more, we are reunited with our old friend, Blood Text.

JUST A GAME OF GOD?
FORTUNE AND MISFORTUNE
JUST A WHIM OF GOD?
EVERYONE MUST GO DOWN THEIR OWN PATH
WHATEVER THE FUTURE MAY BRING

So Nyria proceeds to just stand there for quite some time.



Quite some time. I wonder how tides work, given how close the moon here is.



control over. I will join the army of King Gerald in order to improve my skills and abilities. I don't want to get into a situation again where I can only watch helplessly...
...that makes Mommy and me very sad...
I have decided, and there are no alternatives for me.
...

And fade to black.



♪ BGM: Bad Night Story - vamp9.mid ♫

They were very worried that Nyria had to go to war, and that she might lose her life. Nyria, however, didn't concern herself with the worries of her family and left for Tranak Castle a few days afterwards in order to apply for military service. She wanted to become strong. Very strong. She never wanted to watch helplessly while her family or friends are dying. She was accepted and served King Gerald from that moment on. Months passed, and Nyria rarely wrote a letter about how she was doing. But one day, a letter was sent to her family, which was from Tranak Castle, but was not sent by Nyria...



♪ BGM: Thyrik - 7thguntz.mid ♫

Yes, mother?
Oh, Jayna...
What is it?
Read this letter, Jayna! It's from Tranak Castle!



Tranak Castle was attacked... King Gerald is dead... All the advisors and the queen as well... The guards didn't notice anything! How is that possible?
Who or what could have snuck into the royal chamber and killed everyone without anyone noticing? I hope Nyria is okay!
Unfortunately, the letter doesn't mention anything about her!

Gee, I wonder who could have committed such a dastardly act!


Oh, right. Note that there's a bit of a diversion from our canon here - in our version of the events, the reason the guards didn't notice anything is because, well, they were all dead. In Marlex's version, they apparently did Abraxas's tower first and gained entry to the castle by showing the emblem from the tower to the guards.

The letter is not from her? Who sent it, then? And where is Nyria?
I hope she isn't one of the victims!



three months worried Jayna and their mother greatly. But if Jayna knew what else was waiting for her, she would have had to worry far more... because four months after the letter arrived, two persons came to the village, who would determine Jayna's future. And it was going to be a grim future...

And I think that's a good point to cut for now. Next time, we're going to meet those two people that are going to shape Jayna's future - though you should already know who they are.